Reggae Legend Jimmy Cliff Dies at 81 — A Cultural Bridge from Screen to Sound

Jimmy Cliff

The world bids farewell to Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican singer, actor and global icon, who died on 24 November 2025 at the age of 81. His career spanned decades of music and film, earning him a place as a pioneer who blended reggae rhythms with cinematic storytelling.

While Cliff is widely celebrated for his starring role in the seminal 1972 film The Harder They Come, a defining moment for his crossover into mainstream global cinema came two decades later through the Disney sports comedy Cool Runnings (1993). The film, based on the true story of Jamaica’s unlikely Olympic bobsled team, became an international hit- grossing over $154 million worldwide and cementing its place as one of the most recognisable Caribbean stories ever told on screen.

Cliff’s rendition of “I Can See Clearly Now” featured on the Cool Runnings soundtrack, introducing his voice to a new generation and reinforcing his status as a musical storyteller whose songs could carry emotion and narrative as powerfully as visuals.

He maintained strong cultural ties with Africa, drawing inspiration from and contributing to the continent’s musical and narrative heritage. Reggae’s themes of liberation, identity and resilience resonated deeply with African audiences — an influence still visible today.

While the passing of Cliff marks the end of a remarkable era, his work continues to echo in music, film and how stories connect across oceans and generations.